Return to Johto: Comeback
by Jay1414
Summary: After a fulfilling journey through the Battle Frontier, Ash decides to cancel his journey to Sinnoh and follow his companion to Johto instead. Out for gold, he looks to truly make his mark on the region, gain new power, beat anyone opposing, and support his friends the best that he can. Advanceshipping. Rated T for Language and more. Small mix of games and anime. AU.


**Hello everyone, I am Jay1414, but you can just call me Jay, and I welcome you all to this story. This story centers on the journey of Ash and May through Johto, with new rivals, new pokemon, and the like appearing as well. There will be Mega Evolution, and pokemon from Gen 6 and up appearing in this story.**

**I hope you enjoy this first chapter, and if you have any possible ideas or suggestions for this story, feel free to send them to me and I'll look them over. I promise, I don't bite :]**

**Chapter one is a go!**

**Normal Speech "Hello"**

**Normal Thoughts 'Hello'**

**Pokespeech '_Hello'_**

* * *

**Chapter One: Departure**

The Kanto Region. The region of new beginnings. The hometown to many, including the 'Pride of Pallet', as they call him, known as none other than Ash Ketchum. A young man by the age of 15, with a mind that many would consider the pure definition of the mind of a competitive battler. It took a lot of concentration and patience to be a good pokemon trainer. Many trainers did indeed have these traits, but they lacked kindness, as well as competence. Once they suffered a brutal loss, they renounced their roles as a trainer simply because they had thought up a mindset that they simply 'weren't good enough'. This was a trait that was once held by Ash as well, though the support from his friends had shaken him out of it, and what he and his companions hadn't known, was that this one decision, to not let a man suffer on the ground when he was down, but instead give him a hand and help him to his feet, had sealed his fate into becoming one of the greatest trainers the world will ever witness, or even better if given the correct training.

After having defeated the final Frontier Brain of the Kanto Battle Frontier, Brandon, Ash had reached a peak in his skills as a trainer and battler, and he was intent on traveling to the newest region he had learned about, as he had always done, though something was seemingly holding him back from it. His friends. Ash knew full well that he would not be where he was today if it wasn't for his dear companions. They gave him courage, knowledge, advice, and most importantly, care. Deep down inside, he sometimes wondered what would have happened if he hadn't been fished out of the river on the first day of his journey. Where would he be? Would he have stayed a dim-witted wannabe trainer with a disobedient Pikachu as a starter? Would he have returned the electric mouse and tried again next year? Would he never find his confidence again and stay home with his mother? Would he be a disappointment to himself, his family, and his hometown? The thought honestly hurt him to his core.

But then, in the nick of time, his conscious would catch up with him. There was a reason why he was considered one of the most promising trainers of the _decade_, by none other than Charles Goodshow. There was a reason why his friends and family trusted him with their lives. It was because he had _heart._ His never ending selflessness and love for pokemon is what separates him from the bad trainers and the decent trainers, the decent and the good trainers, and the good and the great trainers. His drive and confidence outshone those of even Elite Four members, and his cheerful and optimistic nature was just the icing on the cake. While he didn't necessarily agree with everything said about him, he was a unique individual, he knew that for sure. And he owed it all to his friends. They would always brush his commendations off, however, stating that it was he who deserved all the praise, but he begged to differ. Without them, he wouldn't be the person they all knew and loved. He wouldn't have become a boy adored by the whole world. He wouldn't have become Ash Ketchum.

There were six words that always ricocheted through his mind from time to time, though he always ignored it because he knew his friends would not want him to be so pessimistic. Without even thinking about it, he mentally repeated it. 'Without my friends, I am nothing.' The support, to keep him from cracking under the pressure. To stop him from giving up, from throwing in the towel before the fight was even won. To keep at it, even when it seemed to foolish to continue. He was forever thankful for anyone who helped him along the way, and he hoped wholeheartedly that his confidence would never waver in the risk of defeat. He thought back to the offer that Scott of the Battle Frontier had proposed to him, about becoming a Frontier Brain. While the offer was definitely a huge honor to him, he honestly felt like it would hold him back from his journey. He was not someone who could stay in one place for too long. Almost like a nomad, he felt no greater satisfaction than to travel and to explore areas while having his companions with him. However, no matter how much he tried to ignore it, he knew that one day, they would all go into their own paths. Even Brock, who had been with him since his very first journey through his native region Kanto, would one day leave as well.

Ash suddenly felt a soft hand lay on his shoulder, jolting him out of his thoughts. Suddenly, he remember his surroundings. They were in Viridian Forest, just a few hours away from his hometown. Brock and Max were out studying the wildlife, while he and May had decided to stay at the campfire to relax from a long day of traveling. Had he forgotten that he wasn't alone? He slowly looked upwards, seeing the pale, blemish-less face that belonged to his friend, May. She smiled at him innocently, though the gleam in her eyes told him that she had a hunch about what he was thinking about. He grinned back at her, locking eyes with the brunette as they stared at one another for a couple of moments.

Breaking the comfortable silence, May offered him a hand to stand from his spot next to the fireplace, which was immediately taken as she pulled him up and backed away slightly to let him brush himself off. After he had finished patting himself down, she decided to address him. "Hey Ash, how are you feeling? You seemed a little down in the dumps."

Pulling on his hat, Ash sighed softly, noticing how her standing position faltered slightly as he did so. He had to admit, May had always given him this warm feeling, as even a simple glance from her to his direction lit him up like a fire. It was something that he had never felt with anyone before, which made it kind of exciting. The thought made him smile, which made May's eyes brighten, before his face quickly shifted into a firm line.

There was indeed a reason why he was reflecting so much on his journey, his friends, and himself as a whole. That was because tomorrow, him and his companions were heading off to Vermillion City, which was a two day journey, to see his friends May and Max off. May was heading off to Johto to compete in the region's newly opened Contest Circuit, while Max, reluctantly, was heading back home to Petalburg City to stay with his parents. The young boy was severely disappointed that May was going without him, but a deep conversation with Ash and Brock had made him realize that it was better to let her go.

"If he can do it, then why can't _I _let her go?" He pondered sadly not realizing that he had said that out loud, as frustration filled his head. May immediately noticed the tightness on his face, as well as the gradual clenching of his fists. That girl could read him like a book, just as he could to her. But right now, it was simply making him feel worse. After all the time they spent together, he felt like he couldn't just let her leave. Deep down he wanted to make her stay with him, but he knew that he couldn't do that. May wasn't his property, she was her own person and she could do whatever she chose to. He felt her hand once again graze his shoulder, though his mind froze when her fingers trailed down his arm, stopping right at his hand, before they softly enclosed his fingers, keeping them together in a gentle lock.

Opening his eyes, he was met with the sight of her beautiful, sapphire eyes, though they were filled with deep passion, and a hint of worry. Her soft, naturally ruby colored lips were pursed, before they separated slowly as it appeared that she was about to speak, before they closed once more. It seemed that she was hesitating. Why was that?

Suddenly, it hit him like a stack of bricks. Ash felt his eyes drop to the ground at the speed of sound when he realized that she had heard his small remark. 'Oh no. She's going to pity me, isn't she now?'

"Ash…." Was all that he heard, before he felt the grip on his hand release. He sighed deeply, defeated, feeling the sympathy coming. However, he soon noticed her place a warm hand on his cheek, the leathery texture from her finger-less gloves being made apparent. His head seemingly raised on its own from how gentle her grip was, while his eyes locked with hers once more. "You think that you have to let me go?" She questioned him in a breathless whisper, her pupils dancing ever so softly.

His heart began to pound rapidly, as his palms began to sweat. There was no going back now, was there? He shook his head after a moment, though it felt like an eternity to May, who was nervously waiting for his response. "No May, not anymore."

She didn't know exactly how to respond to that, choosing instead to simply bite on her lip and stare at him expectantly, silently hoping that he would continue speaking.

Thankfully for her, he took the initiative and decided to put it all out there. "I've realized that I care about you too much to simply let you go on a journey on your own….without me. I know I sound really selfish, but I just want to be honest with you. I...I was wondering...would you mind it if I tagged along with you on your journey to Johto?"

All Ash could remember after finishing his sentence was the shout of joy coming from the brunette, before his entire body was weighed down by her own, as her arms wrapped around his neck, in a gleeful, loving embrace.

* * *

A chilling, wet sensation stimulated his senses thereafter, his eyes prying themselves open and his upper body rising so quick you'd think that he was possessed. He looked around confusedly, before his eyes locked on the figure holding the now empty water bucket, none other than his brother in everything but blood, Brock. Although initially he was annoyed from getting drenched, he couldn't help but smile, seeing his entire group present, doubling over in laughter at seeing his facial expressions. Even Brock, the oldest and most mature of the bunch, was in a fit of chuckles and laughs, while May was completely doubled over, and her little brother Max was stood, his knees bent, as his head rocked back and forth from how hard he was laughing, the boy's glasses having already fallen off.

Getting up in a mock offended manner, he stared at Brock, who stared back, before they both broke into synchronized laughter, patting one another on the back. Considering how many times they've pulled pranks on one another, it was impossible to stay upset for any longer than a minute.

After everyone had calmed down, Ash decided to address the breeder. "So... why was I suddenly out cold?" He put a hand to his chin as he said this, his eyebrow raising in suspicion. "I didn't get attacked by a wild pokemon, did I?"

"Well…." Brock stated, holding the word until May elbowed him, her face turning red from the adolescent's insinuation. "Okay, okay! May was apparently so happy that she 'attacked' you and accidentally made you faint. No worries, you don't need to explain why she was in such a good mood, I already heard the story from her and I have to say that I am honestly so proud of you Ash! You're becoming a MAN!" His voice began to break towards the end, shoulders quivering like a leaf, as tears were comically streaming down his face.

"Alright lover boy, that's enough," Max intervened, handing Brock a tissue as he turned to Ash. "Ash, I'm really happy for you too... but I want you to promise me something." The small boy approached the visibly taller teen, gesturing for him to bend down slightly so that they were face to face.

"Yes, Max?" Max whispered something very subtle into his ear, before backing away and ignoring the constant questioning from his sister on what he had told him.

Ash smiled sweetly at May, getting a hopeful pout in return, to which the teen softly shook his head at, making her sigh dramatically. "Don't worry May, what Max told me is something that he and I will share for a long time, and it does involve you," He saw her eyes light up at his words, before they darkened once more as she crossed her arms in mock annoyance when he finished his sentence. "but I can't tell you what it is."

"Alright, fine…" She relented, picking up some of the stray trash that was left on the ground from their earlier lunch. "Well, let's get packing everyone! We leave tomorrow, right?"

"That's right," Brock answered affirmatively, suddenly appearing out of nowhere, picking up the rest of the trash and disposing of it, before packing up his things at the speed of light, putting his now full backpack down and opening up his sleeping bag. "It's getting late, so we should all get some rest for the big day tomorrow."

Ash nodded to that, giving a small wink to Max, who gave a thumbs up in return. "Yeah, we need all the energy we can have tomorrow. The sooner we get there, the better."

"Oh, and why is that Ash?" The brown haired adolescent queried, raising a playful eyebrow. "Is it because you finally get to be alone with _May?_" He said her name in such a teasing, chiding way that it made May burst into a fit of sputtering gibberish, while Ash immediately charged at Brock, his eyes narrowing dangerously as his cheeks bled red.

"BROCK YOU BASTARD! THAT'S PLAYING DIRTY!" He roared, a comically angry aura surrounded his body as he chased the breeder in circles around the campfire, while Max merely laughed at them, uttering a remark along the lines of 'lovebirds', before his 'dear' sister began to pursue him as well, immediately silencing him and causing him to run as well.

Suddenly, Ash's bag began to shift, before it opened on its own, revealing Ash's dear starter, Pikachu. He looked around with his black round eyes, seeing everyone run in a circle, two of them looking angry, while the other two looked scared out of their minds. What kind of strange dream was this? Shaking his head, he curled back up into the backpack, deciding to stay with his glorious ketchup-filled dreams instead, thank you very much.

* * *

After two grueling days of traveling, it was finally time. Ash, May and Max stood on one side, while Brock stood on the other, multiple shopping bags held in his hands. The older male smiled, whistling at the beautiful scenery in front of them, before bringing his attention back to what was at hand. Ash and May were leaving for Johto, while Max was going back home to Hoenn, with the aid of Professor Birch who was in Kanto for a week to have a conference with his many colleagues, including Professor Oak.

"Well, I guess this is it." Brock broke the silence after a moment, snapping everyone out of their thoughts. "Max, Professor Birch is waiting for you at the docks. I wish you the best of luck."

The young boy approached the older male, shaking hands with him before doing the same with Ash. "Thank you Brock, it means a lot to me. And you Ash, make sure to keep your promise, and the next time we meet, we're having a battle!"

Ash gave off a small smirk, nodding his head energetically. "Of course! Make sure you train real hard!"

Max nodded gleefully, before turning to his sister. His eyes began to water slightly. He had never been away from his sister for very long. He wanted to be strong, but deep down he knew that he'd miss her so much. May leaned down and hugged her brother in a swift motion, the two giving off small sobs as they cherished the final moments they would be having together for some time. Ash and Brock could do nothing but watch, though Ash couldn't help but feel slightly empty inside, since he had no siblings. Not letting it get him down though, he continued to smile proudly, extremely happy that Max had matured over the two years that they had been traveling together. He knew that with his superior knowledge for his age, that Max was going to take the world by storm.

After a while, the two broke apart, May gave a big hug to Brock, thanking him for all he's done, before backing away as Ash and Brock stared at one another. Brock put out an arm, prompting Ash to do the same as they exchanged a bro hug, not making a single sound, only silence. They released, nodding at one another before bumping fists.

"Max! Let's go!" Professor Birch's voice could be heard in the background, as Max quickly shuffled his way to the docks, getting on to the boat as he waved at the three people he had began to call his second family. Sure, May was already part of his family, though he felt that Ash and Brock deserved the title as well. They all waved back to him, until he was out of sight. Now that all he could see was water, Max turned back towards Birch, as the two walked into the main area. 'I promise, I'll be the best trainer I can be the next time you see me!'

The remaining three teens decided to just stand in a comfortable silence for the time being, before a loud horn sounded into their eardrums. "Well, I guess that's our cue." Ash and May boarded the boat headed for Johto together, the two teens waving to their companion, who waved back wholeheartedly, watching proudly as they went out of sight, before staring at the bags in his hands.

'I guess it's time to go back home. See my family, visit the Nurse Joys, catch up with my colleagues, visit the Nurse Joys, and of course, see my pokemon. And visit the Nurse Joys.' Brock said to himself with a chuckle, walking away from the docks to catch a bus to get to Pewter City.

Back on the boat, Ash and May had booked their room, a simple, two bed room with a nicely sized TV, a clean bathroom, and a great view of the ocean. After taking out their nightwear for later and settling their things, the two teens sat on their separate beds, choosing to watch TV for a little while. Pikachu was taking a nap on Ash's bed, snoozing softly. The little electric mouse was still 'tired' after his match with Brandon, though Ash had a hunch that he was just using that as an excuse to be lazy.

Forgetting about that for now, Ash decided to address something that he wasn't able to before, clearing his throat slightly to get May's attention. "You know, I never got the chance to ask Professor Oak for some pokemon I wanted to train."

"Are you going to do it here? I remember the captain saying that they had plenty of poke-ball transfer machines if needed." She leaned forward curiously, putting her hands in her lap.

"Yeah, I'll do that, but first, I want to ask you something. Do you believe that we can both achieve our dreams, together?" His facial expression showed that he was very serious about this, and she knew her answer the second he asked it.

"Let's do this May! Let's show Johto just what we can do!" His hand instantly went up in the air, and May did not disappoint, her hand colliding with his almost instantly, before suddenly, her fingers interlocked with his, making both of their faces turn bright red.

Deciding not to falter, May smiled confidently at him. "I don't believe so, I _know_ so. I have complete trust in you, Ash."

His heart wanted to jump out of his chest in joy at her response, but he remained calm, deciding to simply squeeze her hand, getting a pleasantly surprised expression to appear on her face. "That's perfect... I feel the same way."

They soon released their hands, awkwardly looking away from one another with flushed expressions. Ash looked out the window, -his face slowly losing the red coloring-, prompting the brunette across from him to do the same. "Beautiful, isn't it?"

An endless sea of pure blue, radiating from the moonlight's glow. The fact that Hoenn had more oceans than any other region meant that most form of travel was by boat rather than by plane or by train, which while cheaper, did take longer to get from Point A to Point B.

"Yeah. I can only wonder what kind of trouble we'll get into this time," May stated with a cheeky grin. "Since I'm travelling with _Mr. Danger_ after all."

"Mr. Danger huh, that's a new one. Guilty as charged," He held his hands up in mock surrender. "...but hey, I'm sure it'll be a lot of fun nonetheless." Ash threw his head onto the pillow lazily as a yawn escaped his mouth. He pulled the covers over himself as he prepared to join his electric starter in sweet slumber.

"Of course, any day with you is an interesting one... even the times when we argued over anything and everything." May gave him a small wink as she rose off the bed to turn off the lights in the room, before curling into bed herself. "Goodnight, Ash."

Ash chuckled at the remark, remembering too well how much they used to argue. Well, they would still argue about things from time to time, but they definitely forgave one another way easier than before. "Goodnight." He soon closed his eyes, imagining all the endeavors they would soon find themselves into.

Oh, if only they knew.

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**So how was it?**

**Tell me what you think.**

**I figured since I am introducing a new project, I may as well bring back this one as well. I wrote this about five years ago, and I lost inspiration which is why I axed it. However, if enough people like it, I'll try to continue it.**

**Anyways, please review, as the more reviews I receive, I'll be inspired to write more, so I hope to hear great things from you all, criticism or praise.**

**Thanks for reading guys, and I hope you all have a great day.**


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